Encapsulation of single-molecule magnets in carbon nanotubes

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 2; no. 1; p. 407
• Main Authors: del Carmen Giménez-López, Maria, Moro, Fabrizio, La Torre, Alessandro, Gómez-García, Carlos J., Brown, Paul D., van Slageren, Joris, Khlobystov, Andrei N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 26.07.2011; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 639/301/119/997; 639/638/440; 639/925/357/73; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Science; Science (multidisciplinary)
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1415

Next-generation electronic, photonic or spintronic devices will be based on nanoscale functional units, such as quantum dots, isolated spin centres or single-molecule magnets. The key challenge is the coupling of the nanoscale units to the macroscopic world, which is essential for read and write purposes. Carbon nanotubes with one macroscopic and two nanoscopic dimensions provide an excellent means to achieve this coupling. Although the dimensions of nanotube internal cavities are suitable for hosting a wide range of different molecules, to our knowledge, no examples of molecular magnets inserted in nanotubes have been reported to date. Here we report the successful encapsulation of single-molecule magnets in carbon nanotubes, yielding a new type of hybrid nanostructure that combines all the key single-molecule magnet properties of the guest molecules with the functional properties of the host nanotube. The findings may pave the way to the construction of spintronic or ultrahigh-density magnetic data storage devices. Single-molecule magnets could be useful for the development of spintronic devices. Here single-molecule magnets are encapsulated in carbon nanotubes without affecting the properties of the guest molecules, which may be useful in the development of spintronic or high-density magnetic storage devices.